care only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand medicare and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with this type of plan, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. there's a range of plans to choose from, too. and they all travel with you. anywhere in the country. join the millions who have already enrolled

in the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. call today. remember, all medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay -- expenses that could really add up. these kinds of plans could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. and you never need referrals. if you're thinking about your options, call today. when you call, request your free decision guide. and find the aarp medicare supplement plan that may be right for you.

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♪ willis, you know this songs, right? he's singing over there. >> they're nicknamed

frankenfish. fish that are a cross between three species bred to grow faster. yummy. >> it could end up on your plate in the near future. as you might expect there is some serious opposition out there to eating dinner that's been engineered by scientists. abc's jim avila has more. >> reporter: behind padlocked gates and barbed wire fences in panama grows what could be a landmark change in what we eat. shades of jurassic park where movie scientists played with dinosaur dna. here actual scientists grow a dna altered salmon, producing the first bio-engineered meat on track for human consumption. critics call the process creepy and label it frankenfish. >> when you move the dna from a species into another species, you create a life form that you can g a pateet a pa tent for it. >> reporter: abc news is the

first to see up close and actually taste this mysterious fish. fda scientists rule as safe as food from conventional atlantic salmon. this is what they call franken fish. >> beautiful salmon. >> reporter: the difference. size. this is a 1-year-old salmon dwarfed by a salmon of the same page. they merge the dna of three fish into one. taking dna from a chinook salmon and eel to produce a salmon that grows fact from birth. >> get to market ten months before any salmon out there. >> reporter: the fish are ready for market and the company awaits fda approval. have we gone too far. >> a whole another section of the grocery store for the technology that we think is not fully understood. >> reporter: there is no proven link between genetically altered food and health problems. they complain government scientists have not done enough independent work and ignore the unknown. they worry but have no proof this new fish will increase allergies and theorize its

altered hormone system could somehow cause cancer. the fda's review of company data found those concerns unfounded. is this something i should be afraid of? >> man has been altering the nature of animals since man walked upright and began domesticating animals. arkansas . >> reporter: a new lab created meat in the pipeline for fda approval. very different and just the same as america's favorite fish dinner. >> same texture. >> eating frankenfish. >> please don't use that term. >> reporter: the fda won't say when it will give final approval. the company says it could go out of business before it does. jim avila, abc news, washington. >> and they'll run out of money soon, in january of next year. >> a month. >> a matter of weeks from now too. the fda taking its time in getting to the issue. i think most people are at home going ew. >> i don't have a problem necessarily with steroid being injected into the chicken to make them larger.

there's a reason that animals were created and supposed to stay exactly how they are. no cross-pollination here. interesting, little chance a salmon could escape and breed. if that happens, bred with wild fish they could disrupt everything. but there's -- if the frankenfish got together with other fish. freaky fish! >> chaos. a freak every now and then. i knew willis would enjoy that. still to come, getting ready for the end of the world. as the countdown to the end of the mayan calendar draws near, we'll meet a man who is making sure he is ultra prepared, maybe even a little weird. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

very important. very good news to report this morning. the u.s. government has confirmed the world is not going

to end on the 21st of this month. >> thank god. >> whew. all right. a post on usa.gov says the mayan predictions that the end is near are simply not true. >> oh, gosh, thank you! whoa! >> some people are still getting ready, not including willis. our reporter met up with the doomsday prepper in san diego. >> reporter: with his gas mask on and machete in hand, nico sanchez is ready for december 21st. >> it means possibly the end of the world. i do know about the mayan calendar and have done some research on it. >> reporter: the calendar extend to december 21, 2012. some people interpret that as prediction for the end of the world on that date. >> i have seen how horrific people can be when they really want to be. >> reporter: sanchez is a gulf war veteran, and now he's a prepper, prepared to survive for

the worst, and he trains others how to do the same. how to pack a bug-out bag, medication, light source, and food for years. it's a growing phenomenon. he is only one of 102 confirmed preppers in san diego. >> people getting prepared for december 21st this year should be prepared for any possible scenario, whether it be the end of days, civil unrest, nuclear attack, flood, hurricane, earthquake. >> reporter: that's why sanchez and 102 other preppers are spending hundred, stockpiling bunkers like these with mres, meals ready to eat and tools to help them survive end of the world. the maya archaeologists say it is just a waste of money. >> it's gotten so out of hand because we live in a world that loves the end of the world. >> reporter: the doctor is a leading maya archaeologist and author of the textbook on the subject "2012 science and prophesy of the ancient mya." he's also one of the few that can read maya hieroglyphics.

>> they predicted. >> reporter: still for nico sanchez, it's not a risk he's willing to take. >> that's my son giovany. he's 10 years old. >> reporter: he says there's too much on the line. >> i would rather be looked at as a kook and know my family has a chance of survival than not have any chances at all. >> okay. so the end is nigh. anything you'd like to tell me? >> oh, man. the world is ending? before the world ends, though, i'd like to meet that reporter before the world ends. before the world end, i would look to meet that reporter, before the world end. [ sniffs ]

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thank goodness for "dancing with the stars." >> oh, yeah. >> almost payday. even if you're not a fan of "lord of the rings," the series, new movie, "the hobbit," an unexpected journey may be something to check out. >> looking forward to it. shot in faster speed and 3-d, the sequences are so real people say they feel like they're inside the movie. abc's david wright has more. >> reporter: when a movie is described as a roller-coaster ride that is usually just a figure of speech. not so, "the hobbit." at the new zealand premier, some fans said some scenes actually gave them motion sickness. you have to hold your stomach down and let your eyes pop at first to adjust, tweeted one fan.

turns out director peter jackson used a new technique in filming the movie. >> i always want to have the audience immersed in the film. >> reporter: not only is it 3d it is filmed at a faster speed. >> i want people to feel like they're going into the movie. ♪ >> reporter: back in the silent movie era when they cranked the camera by hand, filmmakers tended to film at 16 frames per second, which is why charlie chaplain's movies have the herky-jerky quality today. with the introduction of sound, projectors had to be standardized. 24 frames per second. "the hobbit" films at 48 frames per second closer to the speed the human eye actually sees things. >> i can invite audiences out of their seat and come on this adventure with us. >> a real sense of reality. and the 3-d, does not come out at you. it rather takes you inside. >> reporter: the test now -- will audiences take the plunge? david wright, abc news. hollywood.

>> i am going to see it. it is going to open around the world next week, expected to rake in $137 million in its opening weekend you were there, part of the process of filming, what did you think? >> ah, look at that. yes. you are right there, willis. >> you should grow your hair out. >> i look like -- look like prince. where is the revolution? >> oh. should we call the raspberry. >> we'll be back with more after this. uh-huh! raspberry. >> we'll be back with more after this. uh-huh!

this morning on "world news now" -- mcafee on the move. software pioneer john mcafee wanted for questioning in a murder is now speaking out from guatemala. >> after being on the run,

mcafee now plans to ask for asylum. it's wednesday, december 5th. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." good wednesday merning. i'm paula faris. would you spell that? "m-u-r-n-i-n-g?" merning? >> m-e. "merning." "merning." "merning." keeping it casual on the overnights. good morning, america. i'm rob nelson. thank you for joining us. today, the strange case of john mcafee got a whole lot stranger later in our top story. also this half hour, a flight school student caught in a gruesome propeller accident. how his quick-thinking instructor helped save his life. >> unbelievable. >> remember that story a few months ago, lauren scruggs, walked into the propeller. >> same thing. same thing here. also ahead, details on what sent kate middleton to the hospital and when. we also have an update from london on how she is doing right now. >> and then "malcolm in the

middle" star, frankie muniz recovering from a really startling health care much more common in people a whole lot older than he is. what he's telling his fans on twitter on his 27th birthday. that's coming up in "the skin " skinny." stay tuned. a very bizarre story. a major development in the bizarre legal tale involving software pioneer john mcafee. >> he is now in guatemala where he plans to ask for asylum later today. abc's brandi hitt has the latest. >> reporter: after weeks on the run, software founder john mcafee has surfaced in guatemala where he now says he will ask for asylum. >> no extradition treaty. >> i chose guatemala carefully. >> reporter: mcafee spent weeks sneaking out of belize where police want to question him. for the murder of his neighbor, american greg fall. fall was shot to death last month and had recently filed a local petition against mcafee's

security guards, calling them dangerous along with his vicious dogs. police in belize insist he is not a suspect. mcafee chose to run and the increasingly paranoid software millionaire tweeted and blogged along the way, called national media outlets. rumors were posted on his own blog he had been captured. then he surfaced last weekend on cnn. >> it hasn't been a lot of fun. i miss my prior life. much of it -- much of it has been deprivation. >> how do you see this coming to an end? >> i don't have a crystal ball. i'm going to continue to fight until something changes. >> reporter: but mcafee's attorney fears his fight may not end in guatemala. >> there is no extradition treaty. sometimes they will just capture you and put you at the border without any legal action. >> yes. >> that's illegal. that's why we have to make it public. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc new, los angeles. >> this is really, really bizarre. the belize's prime minister says

"i believe that mcafee is extremely paranoid, even bonkers." but, you know, they've called him a person of interest. they don't have a warmt for his arrest. they said there's no reason why he should be seeking any sort of treatment like this where he needs to seek refuge in guatemala. >> he is not arrested. just a person of interest as they say. strange guy. strange story. i think that's fair. we'll see how it plays out. >> very fair. >> plus there's questions about exactly how much he's worth. at one point, rumored $100 million. and, no, i blew it all, $4 million. came out and disputed that. so lots of questions. yeah. well, this story certainly is getting talk around the country. police now have a suspect in custody in that subway pushing death. investigators are questioning a man and now say he implicated himself in the incident monday. a subway rider was tossed right there onto the tracks in midtown manhattan and then tried

desperately to climb to safety but was struck by a train as a horrified crowd looked on. also we should point out this morning -- "the "new york post"" sparked outrage and pretty emotional debate by publishing this front page photoshowing the subway victim with the train bearing down on him just seconds from death. wow. a freelance photographer on another assignment when he captured that moment. he says, he was running towards the victim wearing 20 pounds of gear and firing the flash on his camera to get the conductor's attention and not aiming to get a picture of the man there on the tracks. >> he fired his flash 49 times. >> wow. >> there has been arrest in the murder of four people outside a southern california boardinghouse. police say the suspect and three accomplices were arrested in las vegas. those four victims were apparently visiting some one at the boardinghouse when they were gunned down, early sunday. investigators will not say what led them to the suspect.

and authorities in arizona say they are considering criminal charges if the mother of a girl with leukemia does not get her daughter medical help. the 11-year-old girl known as emily had been getting chemo at a phoenix hospital when she left with her mother a week ago. doctors say she is at great risk for a deadly infection. a terrible story from north carolina. a man is recovering now after his arm was severed by the propeller of a plane. the man had been flying a small cessna on sunday. working to get his pilot's license. he already had 60 hours in the cockpit. after the accident, the man's instructor used a belt as a tourniquet until an ambulance could get there. >> accidents do happen. and for some reason it happens to people that should know better. >> the man was rushed to a hospital, but doctors were unable to reattach his severed arm. he is now listed in fair condition. >> using the belt as the tourniquet, that really saved his life. it was severed above his elbow. flight instructors say it's kind of hard to see the propeller

because it's moving so fast, it almost looks invisible. the sound should be unmistakable. to walk right into it. >> you have to wonder, just absent-mindedness. you know? just not paying attention. were you just distracted by something? lots of questions. but could have been worse. that's for sure. >> uh-huh. he is alive and in fair condition. well, crews trying to remove the toxic chemical from a south jerdy town had to stop when vinyl chloride levels went into the danger zone. even more people have been evacuated from their homes following the derailment last friday. the people have been told to stay behind closed doors in their homes as a precaution. they're being put up at a nearby motel. well, out with the old, in missouri, as demolition crews made quite a splash. roofs which connects part of the blanchette bridge which connects st. louis and saint charles counties was blasted away in second. looking at 4.5-million pound of steel dropping and sending ocean like waves crashing into the river bank. 75% of the bridge is being replaced or reconstructed. >> why are we so fascinated with pictures of demolitions and implosions? >> i have no idea.

only in tv news. >> cool. anyway, the drenching downpours are finally winding down in the west today with the latest storm delivering yet another blow to northern california and pacific northwest. the fourth storm in a week pounding the pacific coast, dumping a foot, rather, half foot of snow, half foot of rain rather in some areas. more people lost electricity as trees crashed down on power lines, rivers swelled, but remained within their banks. wacky weather everywhere. >> here we go. here's your wednesday weather. rain from salt lake city to helena. a foot of snow in the rockies. cascade, sierra, nevada. a big cool down in the midwest. scattered showers and thunderstorms from new orleans to atlanta and d.c. >> 50s in the northeast. 40s in the midwest. denver hovers near 70, which is 25 degrees above normal. not bad. enjoy it, folks. probably the most recognizable sign in the nation

is back. looking exactly the same as the it did before its makeover. talking about the famous hollywood sign, of course. >> its nine-week, $175,000 spruce-up is officially over. and considering it's the sign's biggest cleanup job in 30 years, we must say it's fantastic, don't you think? >> marvelous as they like to say. >> how is that again? >> marvelous. billy crystal character. >> i know. >> bravo to sherwin williams, donated the 900 gallons of paint that was slapped on. nice work out there. the sign looks as good as ever. >> quick little factoid. when it originally went up in 1929 it said hollywoodland. the famous letters, they're 45 feet tall, 350 feet long. >> really. have you ever been out there to see it? >> i've been by it. i haven't taken any photos by it. photo bombing. >> not yet. all right.

coming up, the unusual health scare for a well-known sitcom star who turns 27, young guy, just turned 27 today, matter of fact. >> why prince william left his pregnant wife's hospital room looking a bit more upbeat. our royal baby bump watch is up next. ♪ baby you're the woman and i love and i love what it's doing to you ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by consumer cellular. weather brought to you by consumer cellular. we were so blessed when we had triplets

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♪ this is going i can ♪ this is going i can see it in your eyes i'm happy knowing ♪ >> baby making music. ♪ you're having my baby baby-making music. kate middleton is said to be feeling better as she recuperates in a hospital for a condition that causes acute nausea, but she may have to spend several more days there. >> we're learning more about who knew about the pregnancy very early, how it was determined how/what treatment she was going to get moving down the road. abc's lama hasan has more on all of this baby mama drama from london. >> reporter: when william arrived at the hospital he appeared somber, but after spending more than six hours by his wife's bedside. when the prince emerged --

>> your royal highness, how is the duchess? >> reporter: -- he was more relaxed with a beaming smile. moments later the palace gave a clue as to why the change in his expression. the duchess is continuing to feel better. the statement read. but it went on that kate remains in hospital and continues to be treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, the crippling form of morning sickness that causes extreme nausea. barely 12 weeks along, we are now learning new details about the weekend when william and kate were forced to go public with the pregnancy. the couple were staying with kate's parents when kate reportedly became so sick the decision was made to head to the hospital. >> she didn't need to be taken by an ambulance. it wasn't an emergency dash. once they had been told by the doctor that they should go to the hospital, they decided it was fine for watermelon to drive her. when kate walked in, she was in quite good spirits despite the fact she is feeling nauseous. >> reporter: kate's parents found out their daughter was pregnant over the weekend, but the royal couple wanted to keep their baby news a secret until december, to tell the royal family on christmas day.

there are no signs the queen here at buckingham palace or kate's family have gone to see her at the hospital just yet. according to one royal reporter perhaps it's because they know prince william is doing such a good job of being by her side. lama hasan, abc news, outside buckingham palace in london. >> aren't you relieved she's doing better? >> yes. we wish her a speedy recovery and healthy pregnancy. absolutely. >> a long pregnancy. in the very early, not through the first trimester. >> 10 weeks, roughly, 10-12. somewhere in that range. >> 30 more weeks. eight more months. >> i do have more respect for women when i see you all -- what you go through carrying, when you are with child, let's say. >> i brought you into this world, i can take you out. >> favorite bill cosby line. coming up, what a scare for a former "world news now" anchor. >> and which star from the cast of "seinfeld" is returning to tv? "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc st

♪ skinny so skinny [ laughter ] >> in the house! >> willis, always good to have ♪ skinny so skinny [ laughter ] >> in the house! >> willis, always good to have you back for the week, sir. i'll tell your parole officer good things. >> i think he could join me up here. >> willis could make a cameo one of these times. >> that means you leave. >> that's fine. i want some sleep. anderson cooper, former

"world news now" anchor, experienced temporary blindness, harrowing experience, shooting on location in portugal last week. he experienced temporary blindness for 36 hours, posted this photo of him wearing an eye patch. it turns out the reflection off of the water caused temporary blindness because of his light blue eyes. it sunburned his eyes. yeah, take a listen. >> i wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my eyes are on fire. my eyeballs. i think maybe i have sand in my eyes or something. i douse my eyes with water. anyway it turns out i have sunburned my eyeballs and i go blind. >> that's frightening. >> wow. i didn't know you could sunburn your eyes. >> i had no idea either. but, of course, his vision returned. he joked that pic of him on instagram will work well on his match.com profile. that's a good look, anderson. >> there are far better ways to go blind. this is interesting too.

jay-z had a big run at the barclays center in brooklyn, the new stadium out here, the new arena out here as well. 43rd birthday was this week as well. they released a documentary, his eight-show stint in brooklyn, and one highlight from the movie, "where i'm from" he is taking the subway to the final show in brooklyn and meets a woman who has no idea who in the world he is. take a listen. >> my name is jay. >> ellen. >> what do you do, mr. jay? a woman named ellen. clearly had no idea, but a very sweet conversation. cooly took the subway and cool that he was talking to a women who didn't know, probably didn't care who he was.

a cool moment caught on film. again the documentary is called "where i'm from." check it out. >> you have to believe for somebody as famous and iconic as jay-z, nice to have your anonymity, for a quick little subway ride. >> must be. yeah. okay. so "malcolm in the middle" star, frankie muniz turned 27, a bit of a frightening experience for him. he hasn't been -- "malcolm in the middle" finished in 2006 after a six-year run. he had a mini-stroke last weekend. he was taken to an arizona hospital. because friends noticed he was acting really weird. he was slurring. they couldn't understand what he was saying. he had trouble speaking. he tweeted this. he says, i was in the hospital last friday. i suffered a mini stroke, not fun at all. i have to start taking care of my body. i am getting old. doctors are not sure of the cause. they have run preliminary tests. results have not been released. he is scheduled to begin touring with his band, king spoils. so he's a musical, but that has to be put on hold. >> so young. you have to wonder. >> 27. >> if there is genetic something

behind it. that is so young for a stroke. glad a mini, one, but scary for a guy that age. also guess who is coming back to television. michael richards from "seinfeld." >> guess who's back? >> kramer is coming back in a show, "giant baby" on tvland, playing a character opposite kirstie alley and rhea perlman. he will play a limo driver to madison banks, played by kirstie, whose life is turned upside down after her long lost son looks to reconnect after the death of his adopted mother. and kramer coming back. to tv after all these years after seinfeld went off the air. hopefully he'll have no more rants and keep the image clean. welcome back, kramer. g-g-giddy up. g-g-giddy up. as you probably know, medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand medicare and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with this type of plan, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. there's a range of plans to choose from, too. and they all travel with you. anywhere in the country. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it.

call today. remember, all medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay -- expenses that could really add up. these kinds of plans could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. and you never need referrals. if you're thinking about your options, call today. when you call, request your free decision guide. and find the aarp medicare supplement plan that may be right for you.

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music ♪ ♪ let your body move to the music ♪ ♪ come on vogue >> well done, paula. >> did you like that? madonna. >> i love when you bust a movie like that. >> no, you don't. you make fun of me. >> well, for clear reasons. anyway, anna wintour, the most feared name in american fashion, now she could be taking the no-nonsense attitude to the international stage. how about that? >> saw the next move and everything. >> as we mentioned yesterday during "the skinny," the "vogue" editor is being considered for a job as u.s. ambassador to britain for france. abc's david wright looks at her legacy. >> reporter: she's a woman renowned for exquisite taste and withering looks. the inspiration for meryl streep's character in "the devil wears prada." >> you have no style or sense of fashion. >> i think that depends on what -- >> no, no, wasn't a question. >> reporter: a portrayal anna wintour may not have enjoyed but

she told barbara walters she respected it. >> did you recognize any part of yourself? >> well, i'm a very decisive person, so if meryl seemed somewhat strong, i respect that. >> reporter: she is the single most powerful woman in the fashion industry. her influence felt not just on the runway but in the shopping malls, too, as the documentary "the september issue" revealed, the editor of "vogue" dent mince words. >> i feel it's quite one-dimensional. >> reporter: she raised millions for the president's re-election. >> please join us, just don't be late. >> reporter: and politicians often reward their biggest fund-raisers. but ambassador anna wintour. privately white house sources say wintour is in the running for a plum diplomatic post, either ambassador to france or britain. wintour may not even want the job. she is, after all, the reigning queen of fashion, and queens don't have to be diplomatic. david wright, abc new, los

angeles. >> she has been at "vogue" for 25 years, born in london, 63. apparently you know her quite well. >> yes, there we are. >> she's mad at you because you're not wearing a tie. >> she would be frowning upon most of the things i would wear. i have some kind of weird chest hair pattern in there. >> you have a necklace on. >> is that what it is? you are going david hasselhoff on us. >> we'll be right back. >> yeah! ♪ that's what it's for >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," inform ñ

this morning on "world news now" -- moment of horror. a break in the subway death that has shocked new york. police have captured a suspect. >> and the picture captured by a photographer on that platform has touched off a furious debate. it is wednesday, december 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now."

good wednesday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. the photographer who took that chilling photo is now explaining how he happened to get the image and why he was not able to reach the victim in time. a lot of people -- there is a lot of flak coming for this. if you have the time to take the photo, why don't you have time to save the man's life? >> that was everyone's reaction, yeah. also, a big bounce in home prices could mean good news for the entire economy. >> some of the hardest-hit states as well. arizona, california, florida. we're seeing a big turnaround. that's news everyone can celebrate. prices are up. later this half hour, going to extremes. there is suddenly a backlash from the couponers. >> couponers. >> couponers. >> it's not coupon. it's coupon.

>> i hear people say it both ways. is there a right or wrong way? >> it is coupon. i have done 7,000 stories for "gma" for couponing. >> couponing? not cue -- >> not like you are cute, it's a coup. >> oh, thank you. >> we will have a story on coupons about something. >> save money. >> whatever. call it extreme sailing. meet the new speed racers of the high seas. this is not a sport for the faint of heart or for those that can't swim. >> excellent point. first, though, a break in a case right here in new york. a subway death that was captured in an extremely chilling photograph. and it is now continuing to make national headlines. >> police have a man in custody, in monday's incident where a rider was shoved onto the tracks and then killed. wabc's m.j. buriquette has the latest. >> reporter: the suspect was hiding in plain sight on 7th avenue where detectives canvassed the neighborhood with wanted posters. taken into custody exactly 24 hours after the attack, exactly one block from the cream scene.

law enforcement sources say he later made statements implicating himself. newsstand vendor liz willis says she was stunned. >> this morning he came, just like his normal self. i go, oh, that's you. he goes, no, it's not. i said, yes, it is. >> reporter: she said the suspect often did odd jobs for the vendors in the area and had clearly changed his appearance. when she confronted him, ms. willis says he wandered off. >> he shaved his head and everything. he's a lot different. i go, that's you. he goes, no, that's not me. >> leave me [ bleep ] alone. >> reporter: even his voice was familiar, arguing with the victim in the 49th street station moments before witnesses say he shoved him off the platform and into the path of an oncoming q train. neighbors identified the victim as 58-year-old han ki-suk. his funeral is planned for wednesday morning. although she immediately recognized the suspect, in a bizarre twist, liz willis admits she never bothered to tell

police. the suspect was apparently taken into custody hours later. >> reporter: you weren't going to turn him in? >> well, i know they were going to get him. but me, i'm not going to be a rat. everybody be pointing fingers at me, saying i have been a rat. i have been on the corner too many years. >> reporter: he pushed somebody in front of the subway. >> i know he did. you see, i didn't want to be a rat. >> reporter: another troubling development, pictures of the victim moments before his death, published on page 1. critics demand to know why a photographer had time to shoot the picture rather than save a life. the subway platform was crowded with people. there were a number of eyewitnesses. several of them have to view the suspect in a series of lineups. he hasn't been identified. charges have not yet been announced. m.j. buriquette, wabc news, new york. >> that is the question. why did no one step up to help. the photographer estimated he was on the tracks for 10, 15 seconds. you would think that was more

than enough time for a couple people to rally around and grab this guy up. photo here in "the new york post kwlgts" that kind of says it all. >> the photographer if you wonder how the "new york post" obtained the photos, the freelance photographer was working for the post at the time, went straight to the post. police came there for questioning. he said he flashed, used the flash 49 times to alert the driver. the driver actually started slowing down. he had 20 pounds of gear on. at one point he said that that -- assailant, the guy that pushed the victim under the tracks pushed him up against the wall and he continued to take photos or flip the flash so, to alert the, the subway driver that there was danger and to slow down. >> those questioning the photography, he did give a quote to "the new york times." every time i close my eyes i see the image of death. i don't care about a photograph. doesn't sound like a guy just trying to get his famous photo. he was just caught in an awful situation. >> he turned over the card, the digital card with all the photos to "the post" and the police. now we turn to a breaking story this morning. we just learned the long-time

texas congressman jack brooks passed away. the democrat served on capitol hill for 42 years, brooks in the dallas motorcade when president kennedy was shot and killed and on board "air force one" when lyndon johnson was sworn in as president. jack brooks, again, has passed away at the age of 89. and a developing story this morning. the end of a strike that cost at least billion dollars per day. an agreement has been reached in the contract for workers at port of los angeles. they walked off the job eight days ago after working without a contract for two years. the strike crippled the complex, which is the nation's largest, and prevented delivery of cargo to wear houses throughout the country. no specific details yet on the agreement. in other news, there are some new, great signs the economy is rebounding. home sales have shot up big time, in fact. abc's david muir looks at what is behind the real estate turnaround. >> reporter: call it an early christmas gift for millions of americans who own homes. new signs home values are finally on the rise again.

the biggest spike in arizona where home prices are up more than 21%. >> this is quite a streak. >> reporter: you will remember our drive-through, the neighborhood outside phoenix, ground zero, for the housing crash five years ago, foreclosed, for sale, for rent. 130 homes for sale in the one neighborhood alone. sharon was trying to sell them. what did they buy their home for? >> $308,000. >> reporter: what is it listed at now? >> $130,000. >> $130,000. >> reporter: our jaws dropping back then. we were stunned when we checked in with the same realtor. in the last six months how many homes have sold in that one subdivision alone? >> there are 163 homes that sold in the last six months. >> reporter: we were standing there when this market hit rock bottom. there were 130 homes for sale at once. how many for sale? >> 17 homes for sale now. >> reporter: as you drive down the street, real progress? >> absolutely. >> reporter: in 2008 as the recession took its toll, the

median price of a home in america was $186,500. a year later down to $172,000. another year, down again. last year, an even steeper drop, down $160,000. but that rebound, the median price, back up to $178,600. look at the top ten states where home prices are rising fastest. among them, states where housing was hardest hit, nevada, california, florida, michigan. another bright spot, the nation's biggest homebuilder, toll brothers, reporting orders rising sharply. >> the mortgage rate, the best time. a steal. >> reporter: david muir, abc new, new york. >> look at the fact that the housing collapse in this country was one of the reason we went into recession, the hard-hit states, primarily florida, nevada, california. it's good to see the states bouncing back. a lot of good news in there. hope a soon of things to come. things get back to somewhat normal after the, the recession continues to ease. that's good news. worth highlighting.

>> mortgage rates at historic lows. you have to get your home to appraise for more than what you paid for it. ideally. >> ideally. no. you have to. you can't be upside down. you cannot refinance. also on the upswing, the number of women in some of the country's best paid, most prestigious jobs. new numbers show that women -- let's hear it for the ladies -- now account for a third of doctors and lawyers making huge strides. >> yip, yip, yip. >> thank you, willis. >> from 40 years ago when the professions were all male. there is a wage gap. median income for female lawyers is $32,000 less. and for female physicians almost $75,000 lower per year. not cool. a georgia woman said to be the oldest person in the world has been said to have passed away. bessie cooper was 116 years old and lived in a nursing home outside of atlanta where her son, who is 77, said she just

had her hair done tuesday morning. cooper was born august 26, 1896. when asked her secret to a long life, cooper said, minding her own business and not eating junk food. a life well lived. much has been said about new york jets backup quarterback, tim tebow, but you can't say he is not a nice guy. latest evidence of that monday night when tebow called a kid named matt hardy. matt is a 17-year-old high schooler from upstate new york who was badly injured in a car accident saturday. hardy's friend started a twitter campaign, #tebowcallmat. it went viral. monday, tebow wished hardy well and has since tweeted that hardy inspired him. >> it only took him two hours to respond to that trending hash tag of tebowcallmatt. >> making the world smaller. well done, tim. >> a look at your wednesday weather. rain tapering in northern california. showers in portland, seattle, salt lake city, billings. heavy mountain snow, colder in the middle of the country. scattered showers from the gulf coast to the nation's capital. 60s in atlanta and dallas. 30s from fargo to the twin

cities. 50s in the northern rockies. and since it is the holiday season and all about the gift giving, all that good stuff about to get under way, we thought we would make this our "favorite story of the day." >> it centers on 9-year-old tyler scott who thought he was attending just another assembly at his philadelphia area school. well, tyler's mother is in the army. she's been in kuwait for nine months. >> his principal called tyler on stage to help open a gift from his mom. turns out the gift was his mom. tyler thought she wasn't coming home until the end of the month. so imagine that great moment right there. his dad also, in the service, as well. good to see those. >> the whole assembly was about students coping with military parents. that's -- great news. >> merry christmas, enjoy. >> yes. all right. coming up, booze to go. a new place to stash your liquid lunch. >> that's what i am talking about. and the darker side of extreme couponing and one clipper who feels redeemed.

get it? we're cashing in on the story coming up. >> oh, man. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lifestyle lift. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lifestyle lift. hd 3

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♪ ♪ >> don't respond to the >> don't respond to the folks on facebook who say nasty things. some folks have got to relax. >> nasty. >> actually doing christmas shopping.

i'm kidding. all right. you may have seen the show on tlc "extreme couponing" where savvy shoppers save big bucks on everyday items. >> but all that shopping takes a lot of time, a lot of patience, a lot of space, and now some people are changing their couponing ways. they call themselves extreme couponers. frugal shoppers who clip and dumpster dive for savings. >> it was a high. a little bit of a high. >> reporter: meet christie, a former extreme couponer who ditched the scissors after a three-year run. >> reporter: what was the straw that broke the camel's back? >> spending seven, eight hours on black friday going to cvs, walgreen's to get more of things i had 100 of. >> reporter: so she kicked the habit cold turkey. any withdrawals? >> i'm okay. i can walk past a drugstore without needing to go in. so i think i've broken the addiction. >> reporter: now she's telling all. call it "confessions of an

ex-couponaholic." confession one, the freebies aren't so desirable and can lead to hoarding and stockpiling. >> saving money on things you wouldn't otherwise buy and things you don't need. >> reporter: confession two, extreme couponing often lead to an unhealthy diet. >> you can't get fresh organic produce. that stuff just doesn't go on sale. >> reporter: confession three, it is a time-consuming obsession. >> if you're going to spend five to ten hours doing something, get a part-time job. don't spend it doing extreme couponing. >> reporter: she has tips to being a moderate couponer. tip one, make your list and stick to it. >> the key is to use the coupons on stuff that you really would be buying anyway. >> reporter: tip two, don't panic most items go on sale every six weeks. and tip number three, you can save big bucks on items like tooth paste, laundry detergent, and shampoos. maybe extreme couponing isn't for everyone. there may not be a couponers

anonymous, but ricosi is clean, sober, and reformed. >> how about that. i did learn every six weeks, majority of the time things go on sale. you don't have to buy 300 cans of kidney beans. >> good to know. all broadcasts 50% off. which means they now cost a quarter. so welcome. >> i think we should do buy one, get one free. >> buy me, get two free. buy you, get me free. whatever floats your boat. we will be back in a moment. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc st

♪ ♪ do the humpty-hump ♪ come ♪ >> you have been doing that for weeks. i keep telling you that is not it. like a hump. can't you just respect my hump?

>> if this show was on hbo. >> looks like a lovely luxurious way to spend the afternoon, sailing in the sunshine, leisurely drifting over the water with no destination. >> but there's no soul. like a dry hump. for some, sailing is a high speed, high stakes, extreme sport. abc's nick watt took a ride with a new generation of sailors. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: it is sailing, but not as we knew it. a gigantic catamaran in san francisco bay sailing too close to the wind. the most advanced yacht on earth, worth more than $8 million, capsizing. on these boats that is not even a sail. it's a carbon fiber wing.

the sailors, well, they're beefcakes suited up like football players. skipper lured by big money teams with seven-figure salaries and they're flying across open water. >> it tleetss now. it's not guys putting on blazers and sitting on the side with a gin and tonic. >> reporter: i went out as a guest racer on san francisco bay with jimmy, no nonsense aussie and youngest ever america's cup winning skipper. he won it for the u.s. in 2010. >> are there sharks in here? >> yes, there are. >> reporter: these catamarans can fly at 50 miles an hour. it is terrifying. sailing has finally entered the 21st century, fueled by larry ellison's billions and a band of young brash athletes. sailing is now chasing the kind of fans who flocked to nascar. it also flipped during an america's cup world series race here in the bay. >> every man for himself, survival. >> reporter: his team by the way are in a hangar on a dock, 7:00 a.m. every morning, working out. i thought sailing was kind of,

you know -- >> -- rum and coke at sun set. >> reporter: yeah. >> no. >> reporter: they're sailing twice as fast of the mono-hulled racing yachts of not so long ago. >> are you going to flip over? it depends, the unreassuring answer. >> if you're not getting close to capsizing, you're probably not pushing it hard enough. >> reporter: are you pushing yet or just crazy? >> nick watt, on san francisco bay. >> get in on the action, paula, bet you look good on the high seas. snoop out on the poop deck? >> there you go. >> you look a little constipated in the photo. little constipated in the photo. [ male announcer ] sponges take your mark.

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it is a tie that you can sip your favorite beverage out of. >> your mai thai. >> your mai thai. you can tie one on. it hold a half a pint of whatever your favorite drink may be. the thing, see the guy on the left, sipping right from it. comes in a range of color. don't have to worry about wearing the same tie every day. fool your employer into thinking you are not a raging alcoholic. and it comes from the same guy named sean baxter who designed the pillow tie which is a tie that workers could blow up and turn into a pillow if they need a nap at their desk. the flask tie. nozzle disguised as well. sip and keep on about your business for today's alcoholic on the go. >> i will get that for you so you can wear it on "world news now." >> that would make some of the nights a lot easier. >> you can see the gradual regression of rob throughout the night. >> welcome back. okay. so this story out of dayton, ohio, the heart of it all. >> heart of all what? >> the heart of it all. what is says on the license

plate. construction crew working at a community college, and they had men working sign, they were forced to take it down because it was described as sexist and noninclusive because there were female members of the construction crew, so they had to remove it. the female employee complained about the sign and suggested several alternatives to the crew such as construction zone. >> or, you know, people at work, humans at work, persons at work. >> peeps working. >> something p.c. >> get your butt out of here, working. >> get that jackhammer. this story blew my mind a little bit. there is this whole industry out there where they can make jewels out of the remains of your dead pets. they have been doing this with humans before. now they can do it with pets. basically they take the carbon that is in the ashes and turn them into diamonds. it started a decade ago with people's remains being turned into jewels. now we have pets. they can make diamonds,

gemstones, and other jewelry. they have done this with -- dogs, cats, bird, rabbits, horses even one armadillo. if you're ever looking to have fluffy near your heart, you can turn fluffy into a jewel. what does that smell like? is that the smell of pizza? pizza hut canada sent 100 bottles of pizza hut perfume to fans, the ad agency was having fun. they asked fans to dream up names for an marriagenary scent inspired by the smell of a box [ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home

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this morning on this morning on "world news now" -- fiscal fiasco. the fight over taxes and political power in washington as the fiscliff this morning on "world news now" -- fiscal fiasco. the fight over taxes and political power in washington as the fiscal cliff looms and fears of a recession close in. >> the latest negotiations and nasty exchanges in a battle over everyone's money. it is wednesday, december 5th.

>> announcer: from abc new, this is "world news now." good hump day, everybody. wednesday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. we're going to update you on the big fiscal fight in our top story from washington. and from one capital to another, the political uproar in egypt. how cairo police are taking action as thousand of protesters hit streets in outrage. an all-too-familiar scene. >> most protesters say it seems like they traded one dictator for another. >> for another. hard to believe it is. they're part of a growing group of so-called preppers getting ready, as you can see, for the very, very worst. normal everyday folks getting ready for the end of time. >> completely normal. wow. later this half hour, the upcoming movie from "lord of the rings" series and why some fans who have already seen it say the

film made them sick. but this film, we're not going to tell you exactly what it is doing, but it is a first for this type of film. can't tell you. don't want to give it away. >> feel like getting sick, stick with our show tonight too. how about that. but first, the battle in washington over how to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff just days away now at the ended of the year. for now it seems as if president obama and congressional republican are doing plenty of criticizing making very little progress. abc's karen travers is in washington. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, paula. there are now two proposals on the table, but the negotiations have reached a stalemate. so that means there will be some intense discussions and deja vu all over again over the next couple of weeks. >> reporter: both the white house and congressional republicans have put forward a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff. but right now they're miles apart and digging in their heels. president obama told bloomberg

tv a deal is possible, but -- >> unfortunately the speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. >> reporter: that plan sent to the white house offers a total of $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. that includes $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and $800 billion in new tax revenue, but here's the key. no rate increases in the top 2% of taxpayers. that's non-negotiable for president obama. >> we're not going to be able to got a deal without it. >> reporter: the white house says the republicans' math just doesn't add up. >> it's magic beans and fairy dust. >> reporter: negotiations have reached a stalemate. >> there's nothing going on privately that is not going on publicly. >> reporter: there is no plan at this time for congressional leaders to meet with the president at the white house, and it doesn't sound like he's sending out invitations any time soon. >> i don't think that the issue right now has to do with sitting in a room. >> reporter: earlier, the

president met with the bipartisan group of governors. >> we understand this will be a shared sacrifice, you have to look at spending cuts. states are willing to do more with less. >> the governors didn't endorse a specific proposal, not the white house version or the house republican version, but they did say that something must be done to avoid those massive mandatory spending cuts that will go into effect if no deal is reached. rob and paula, back to you. >> thank you, karen. obviously boehner put his counterproposal on the table. conservatives in his party are not happy about what he has put down. republicans are defending that saying, wait a minute. the fact that some folks in our party are angry means our proposal is actually a compromise. the president's was not. that's how they're kind of, you know, explaining some of the dissension within their own ranges, saying, sign of a real compromise, they have now put forward. >> really what they're hung up on is the tax rate dispute at the end of the day. >> for the top 2%. the president, gave an interview and flat out said unless you all degree that the tax rates -- not the revenue, but the tax rates go up, there is no deal.

>> although last year, 2011, the president said, maybe we can, generate more revenue just by eliminating these tax loopholes. he didn't mention anything about tax increases. but then he says, well, you come to the table and it all comes down to math. it didn't add up. that's why he needs tax increases. >> elections change things. >> math. well, there will be a full court press on capitol hill later this morning as officials from northeast push for billions of dollars in federal aid in the wake of hurricane sandy. senators from hard-hit states are among those scheduled to test final the governors of new jersey, new york and connecticut are teaming up to request almost $83 billion in federal help. also on capitol hill, the senate has just passed its version of a defense bill. it's a $631 billion measure. it calls for a quicker withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan and tougher sanctions on iran. it would also give military personnel a 1.7% raise.

that vote was 98-0. unanimous. the senate and house must work out a compromise. now we turn to egypt where tv stations are expected to go dark today in protest over the president's recent power grab. tensions are still simmering as thousands of demonstrators have taken their anger back to tahrir square. abc's alex marquardt reports. >> reporter: they came by the tens of thousands, hurling stones, pulling down barricades, riot police fired volumes of tear gas and retreated. as the masses grew, president mohammed morsi left the palace. ever since the revolution that captivated the world, egypt has struggled on the road to democracy. two weeks ago president morsi gave himself unchecked powers he says to put egypt on a democratic path. there was outrage on tahrir square. we were there. no one here believes morsi when he says the powers are just temporary. they say they traded one tyrant

for another. then a surprise. morsi's allies rushed through a new constitution. critics say it could make egypt more islamic and doesn't do enough to guarantee freedom, including women. egyptians will have a chance to vote on the new constitution in two weeks. protesters could boycott. but for now it looks like it will go ahead and the president may very well get his way. alex marquardt, abc news, jerusalem. and back here at home looking frail and in a wheelchair, former senator bob dole made a surprise appearance on capitol hill. dole was just released from the hospital a week ago, and he visited the senate to push for passage of a u.n. treaty, guaranteeing rights for the disabled, but even his appearance was not enough to sway fellow republicans. that treaty, in fact, failed to pass. and roger ailes, the head of fox news, reportedly tried to get general david petraeus to run for president. a one-time republican strategist, even offered to quit his job to run the campaign. but petraeus turned down the suggestion and took the job as head of the cia instead.

and get this. the reason why he said -- this was a 90-minute conversation he had with fox news national security analyst, kathleen mcfarland who went on ailes' behest to pitch this. petraeus said at the time my wife would divorce me if i decided to run. i love my wife. we have a beautiful house with his and hers bathrooms, believe it or not. i just want to live in it. i've never spent a night in it. >> he was doing other things, i guess. it's also raising an interesting debate. should the head of a news organization be actively involved in recruiting candidates for president? obviously, you know, in this day and age, we know which network leans left, which network leans right. should you be that actively involved to say i will quit to run someone's campaign? it raises an interesting debate and media circles, i think, as well.

>> rogers ailes denies this, saying the strategist that went on his behalf to pitch this. that sonny was way out of line. and zero chance he would leave fox. the money was too good. that's what we say about our jobs. >> yes, that's exactly what we always say. >> yip. >> thank you, willis. it wasn't all rancor over the fiscal cliff though. in voting on defense and disability measures on capitol hill. when we heard hard work was done yesterday, it was time, after all, that political mess to get a little festive in d.c. >> please, let's do so. plenty of hard-working members of congress there to watch as the capitol hill christmas tree was lit. a 65-foot spruce brought to washington, all the way from colorado. >> there are 10,000 lights on that tree. they will shine from now until the day after christmas. and maybe we can all agree on the tree if nothing else this year. sure looks pretty. >> i saw the tree at rockefeller. i was underwhelmed. >> really? >> i was underwhelmed. i had high expectations.

>> what didn't it do for you? what about it? >> i thought it was going to be, i don't know, more magnificent. and i have low expectations for that sort of thing. >> wow. didn't like the rockefeller tree. >> i thought, i thought -- >> not big enough, huh? >> not going to say anything about that. maybe we should have gone on a sniet night when the lights -- we went during the day. >> you have to go at night. >> i have children. i have no life at night. >> all right. fair enough. coming up, why a long anticipated movie is literally making fans sick. and concerns about scientifically engineered fish nicknamed frankenfish which were developed in plan not by mother nature. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by united health care. >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by united health care. united health care. ♪ ♪ my mother once told me something ♪ and your budget?

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♪ willis, you know this song, right? ♪ fish in the sea he's singing over there. >> they're nicknamed frankenfish, not willis. fish that are a cross between

three species bred to grow faster. yummy. >> it could end up on your plate in the near future. as you might expect there is some serious opposition out there to eating dinner that's been engineered by scientists. abc's jim avila has more. >> reporter: behind padlocked gates and barbed wire fences in panama grows what could be a landmark change in what we eat. shades of jurassic park where movie scientists played with dinosaur dna. here actual scientists grow a dna-altered salmon, producing the first bio-engineered meat on track for human consumption. critics call the process creepy and label it frankenfish. >> when you move the dna from a species into another species, you create a new life form that's so unique you can get a patent for it. >> reporter: abc news is the first to see up close and actually taste this mysterious fish. fda scientists rule as safe as food from conventional atlantic salmon.

>> this is what they call franken fish. >> this is a beautiful, healthy atlantic salmon. >> reporter: the difference. size. this is a 1-year-old salmon dwarfed by a salmon of the same page. they merge the dna of three fish into one. taking dna from a chinook salmon and from a sea eel fro deuce an atlantic salmon that grows fast from birth. >> get to market ten months before any salmon out there. >> reporter: the fish are ready for market and the company now awaits final fda approval, but have we gone too far. >> it's a whole other section of the grocery store for the technology that we think is not fully understood. >> reporter: there is no proven link between genetically altered food and health problems. they complain government scientists have not done enough independent work and ignore the unknown. they worry but have no proof this new fish will increase allergies and theorize its altered hormone system could somehow cause cancer. the fda's review of company data

found those concerns unfounded. is this something i should be afraid of? >> man has been altering the nature of animals since man walked upright and began domesticating animals. >> reporter: a new lab-created meat in the pipeline for fda approval. it's very different and just the same as america's favorite fish dinner. >> same texture. >> eating frankenfish. >> please don't use that term. >> reporter: the fda won't say when it will give final approval. and the company says it could go out of business before it does. jim avila, abc news, washington. >> and they'll run out of money soon, in fact, as in january of next year. >> a month. >> so a matter of weeks from now too. so the fda is taking its time in getting to the issue. i think most people are at home going ew. >> i don't have a problem necessarily with steroids being injected into a chicken to make them larger, but this?

there's a reason that animals were created and supposed to stay exactly how they are. no cross-pollination here. interesting, little chance a salmon could escape and breed. and if that happens, if they bred with some of the other wild fiduciary, that could disrupt everything. but there's -- if the frankenfish got together with other fish. freaky fish! >> chaos. nothing wrong with a freak every now and then. i knew willis would enjoy that. still to come, getting ready for the end of the world. as the countdown to the end of the mayan calendar draws near, we'll meet a man who is making sure that he is ultra prepared, maybe each a little weird. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

very important. very good news to report this morning. the u.s. government has

confirmed the world is not going to end on the 21st of this month. >> thank god. >> whew. all right. a post on usa.gov says the mayan predictions that the end is near are simply not true. >> oh, gosh, thank you! whoa! >> some people are still getting ready, not including willis. natasha met up with a so-called doomsday prepper in san diego. >> reporter: with his gas mask on and machete in hand, nico sanchez says he's ready for december 21st. >> it means possibly the end of the world. i do know about the mayan calendar and have done some research on it. >> reporter: the mayan calendar only extends to december 21st, 2012. some people interpret that as prediction for the end of the world on that date. >> i have seen how horrific people can be when they really want to be. >> reporter: sanchez is a gulf war veteran, and now he's a prepper, prepared to survive for the worst, and he trains others

to do the same. how to pack a bug-out bag, medication, light source, and food for years. it's a growing phenomenon. he's only one of 102 confirmed preppers in san diego. >> people getting prepared for december 21st this year should be prepared for any possible scenario, whether it be the end of days, civil unrest, nuclear attack, flood, hurricane, earthquake. >> reporter: that's why sanchez and 102 other preppers are spending hundred, stockpiling bunkers like these with mres. those are meals ready to eat. and tools to help them survive the end of the world. the maya archaeologists say it is just a waste of money. >> it's gotten so out of hand because we live in a world that loves the end of the world. >> reporter: the doctor is a leading maya archaeologist and author of the textbook on the subject "2012 science and proscy of the ancient maya." he's also one of the few that

can read maya hieroglyphics. >> they predicted. >> reporter: still for nico sanchez, it's not a risk he's willing to take. >> that's my son giovany. he's 10 years old. >> reporter: he says there's too much on the line. >> i would rather be looked at as a kook and know my family has a chance of survival than not have any chances at all. >> okay. so the end is nigh. anything you'd like to tell me? >> oh, man. the world is ending? before the world ends, though, i'd like to meet that reporter before the world ends. ld ends. before the world end, i would look to meet that reporter, before the world end. [ sniffs ]

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with puffs softness. prove it. enough is enough. d-con no view, no touch trap snaps to kill instantly. no looking, no touching. d-con. get out. hey, insomniacs. you're watching "world news now." >> sleep is overrated. ♪

thank goodness for "dancing with the stars." >> oh, yeah. >> almost payday. even if you're not a fan of "lord of the rings," the series, new movie, "the hobbit," an unexpected journey may be something to check out. >> looking forward to it. shot in faster speed and 3-d, the sequences are so real people say they feel like they're actually inside the movie. abc's david wright has more. >> reporter: when a movie is described as a roller-coaster ride that is usually just a figure of speech. not so, "the hobbit." at the new zealand premiere, some fans said some scenes actually gave them motion sickness. you have to hold your stomach down and let your eyes pop at first to adjust, tweeted one fan. turns out director peter jackson used a new technique in filming the movie. >> i always want to have the audience immersed in the film.

>> reporter: not only is it 3-d it is filmed at a faster speed. >> i want people to feel like they're going into the movie. ♪ >> reporter: back in the silent movie era when they cranked the camera by hand, filmmakers tended to film at 16 frames per second, which is why charlie chaplain's movies have the herky-jerky quality today. with the introduction of sound, projectors had to be standardized. 24 frames per second. with "the hobbit" jackson films it at 48 frames per second, closer to the speed the human eye actually sees things. >> i can invite audiences out of their seat and come on this adventure with us. >> a real sense of reality. and the 3-d does not come out at you. it rather takes you inside. >> reporter: the test now -- will audiences take the plunge? david wright, abc news. hollywood. >> i am going to see it. it is going to open around the

world next week, expected to rake in $137 million in its opening weekend you were there, part of the process of filming, what did you think? >> ah, look at that. yes. you are right there, willis. >> you should grow your hair out. >> i look like -- look like prince. where's the revolution? >> oh. should we call the raspberry? >> we'll be back with more after this. uh-huh! >> oh. should we call the raspberry. >> we'll be back with more after this. uh-huh! raspberry. >> we'll be back with more after this. uh-huh!

this morning on "world news now" -- mcafee on the move. software pioneer john mcafee wanted for questioning in a murder is now speaking out from guatemala. >> after being on the run, mcafee now plans to ask authorities for asylum. it's wednesday, december 5th. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now."

good wednesday merning. i'm paula faris. would you spell that "m-u-r-n-i-n-g?" merning? >> m-e. "merning." "merning." "merning." keeping it casual on the overnights. good morning, america. i'm rob nelson. thank you for joining us. today, the strange case of john mcafee just got a whole lot stranger. we'll have more coming up later in our top story. also this half hour, a flight school student caught in a gruesome propeller accident. how his quick-thinking instructor helped save his life. >> unbelievable. >> remember that story a few months ago? was it lauren scruggs? she walked into a propeller and made a miraculous recovery? >> same thing. same thing here. also ahead, details on what sent kate middleton to the hospital and when. we also have an update from london on how she is doing right now. >> and then "malcolm in the middle" star, frankie muniz recovering from a really startling health scare, much

more common in people a whole lot older than he is. what he's telling his fans on twitter on his 27th birthday. that's coming up in "the skinny." stay tuned for that. a really bizarre story what happening to him. but first, a major development in the bizarre legal tale involving software pioneer john mcafee. >> he is now in guatemala where he plans to ask for asylum later today. abc's brandi hitt has the latest. >> reporter: after weeks on the run, software founder john mcafee has surfaced in guatemala where he now says he will ask for asylum. >> there's no extradition treaty. >> no extradition treaty. i chose guatemala carefully. >> reporter: mcafee spent weeks sneaking out of belize where police want to question him. for the murder of his neighbor, american greg fall. fall was shot to death last month and had recently filed a local petition against mcafee's security guards, calling them dangerous along with his vicious dogs. police in belize insist he is

not a suspect. mcafee chose to run and the increasingly paranoid software millionaire tweeted and blogged along the way, called national media outlets. rumors were posted on his own blog he had been captured. then he surfaced last weekend on cnn. >> it hasn't been a lot of fun. i miss my prior life. much of it -- much of it has been deprivation. >> how do you see this coming to an end? >> i don't have a crystal ball. i'm going to continue to fight until something changes. >> reporter: but mcafee's attorney fears his fight may not end in guatemala. >> there's no extradition treaty. sometimes they will just capture you and put you at the border without any legal action. >> yes. >> that's illegal. >> it is. >> that's why we have to make it public. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc new, los angeles. >> okay. this is really, really bizarre.

belize's prime minister says "i believe that mcafee is extremely paranoid, even bonkers." but, you know, they've called him a person of interest. they don't have a warrant for his arrest. they said there's no reason why he should be seeking any sort of treatment like this where he needs to seek refuge in guatemala because -- >> -- he's not formally arrested. >> no. he's not formally arrested. >> just a person of interest as they say. strange guy. strange story. i think that's fair. we'll see how it plays out. >> very fair. >> plus there's questions about exactly how much he's worth. at one point, rumored $100 million. and, no, i blew it all, $4 million. then he came out later and disputed that, so lots of questions. yeah. well, this story certainly is getting talk around the country. police now have a suspect in custody in that subway pushing death. investigators are questioning a manned man and now say he's implicated himself in the incident monday. a subway rider was tossed right there onto the tracks in midtown manhattan and then tried desperately to climb to safety

but was struck by a train as a horrified crowd looked on. also we should point out this morning -- the "new york post" sparked outrage and pretty emotional debate by publishing this front page photo showing the subway victim with the train bearing down on him just seconds from death. wow. a fry lance photographer was on another assignment when he captured that moment. he says he was running toward the victim wearing 20 pounds of gear and firing the flash on his camera to get the conductor's attention and not aiming to get a picture of the man there on the tracks. >> he fired his flash 49 times. >> wow. and there's been an arrest in the murder of four people outside a southern california boardinghouse. police say the suspect and three accomplices were arrested in las vegas. those four victims were apparently visiting some one at the boardinghouse when they were gunned down, early sunday. investigators will not say what led them to the suspect. and authorities in arizona say they are considering criminal charges if the mother of a girl with leukemia does not get her daughter medical help.

that 11-year-old girl known as emily had been getting chemo at a phoenix hospital when she left with her mother a week ago. doctors say she is at great risk for a deadly infection. a terrible story now from north carolina. a man is recovering now after his arm was severed by the propeller of a plane. the man had been flying a small cessna on sunday, working to get his pilot's license. he already had 60 hours in the cockpit. after the accident, the man's instructor used a belt as a tourniquet until an ambulance could get there. >> accidents do happen. and for some reason it happens to people that should know better. >> the man was rushed to a hospital, but doctors were unable to reattach his severed arm. he is now listed in fair condition. >> but using that belt as a turniquette, that really saved his life because it was severed above his elbow.

flight instructors say it's kind of hard to see the propeller because it's moving so fast, it almost looks invisible. the sound should be unmistakable. to walk right into it. >> you have to wonder, just absent-mindedness. you know? just not paying attention. were you just distracted by something? lots of questions. but could have been worse. that's for sure. >> uh-huh. he is alive and in fair condition. well, crews trying to remove the toxic chemical from a south jersey town had to stop when vinyl chloride levels went into the danger zone. even more people have been evacuated from their homes following the derailment last friday. those people had been told -- had been told to stay behind closed doors in their homes as a precaution. they're being put up at a nearby motel. well, out with the old in missouri as demolition crews made quite a splash. part of the blanchette bridge, which connects st. louis and st. charles counties, was blasted away in seconds. looking at 4.5 million pounds of steel dropping and sending ocean-like waves crashing into the river bank. about 75% of that bridge is being replace order reconstructed. >> why are we so fascinated with pictures of demolitions and

implosions? >> i have no idea. only in tv news. >> cool. anyway, the drenching downpours are finally winding down in the west today with the latest storm delivering yet another blow to northern california and pacific northwest. the fourth storm in a week pounding the pacific coast, dumping a foot -- rather a half foot of snow -- half foot of rain rather in some areas. more people lost electricity as trees crashed down on power lines, rivers swelled, but remained within their banks. wacky weather everywhere. >> here we go. here's your wednesday weather. rain from salt lake city to helena. up to a foot of snow in the northern rockies, cascades, see air see rare, nevada. a big cooldown in the midwest. scattered showers and thunderstorms from new orleans to atlanta and d.c. >> 50s in the northeast.

40s in the midwest. denver hovers near 70, which is 25 degrees above normal. not bad. enjoy it, folks. probably the most recognizable sign in the nation is back. looking exactly the same as the it did before its makeover. talking about the famous hollywood sign, of course. >> its nine-week, $175,000 spruce-up is officially over. and considering it was the sign's biggest cleanup job in 30 years, we must say it's fantastic, don't you think? >> marvelous as they like to say. >> how is that again? >> marvelous. billy crystal character. >> i know. >> bravo to sherwin williams, the paint company, because they donated the 900 gallons of paint that was slapped on there. nice work out there. the sign looks as good as ever. >> quick little factoid. when it originally went up in 1929 it said hollywoodland. the famous letters are 45 feet tall, 350 feet long. >> really. have you ever been out there to see it? >> i've just seen it from afar. >> me too. >> i haven't like taken any photos by it. photo bombing. >> not yet. all right. coming up, the unusual health scare for a well-known sitcom star who turns 27, young guy, just turned 27 today,

as a matter of fact. and why prince william left his pregnant wife's hospital room looking a bit more upbeat. our royal baby bump watch is up next. ♪ but you're having my baby you're the woman i love and i love what it's doing to you ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by consumer cellular. weather brought to you by consumer cellular. we were so blessed when we had triplets

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♪ this is going i can ♪ this is going i can see it in your eyes i'm happy knowing ♪ >> baby making music. ♪ you're having my baby baby-making music. ♪ you're having my baby baby-making music. kate middleton is said to be feeling better as she recuperates in a hospital for a condition that causes acute nausea, but she may have to spend several more days there. >> and we're learning more about who knew about the pregnancy very early, how it was determined how/what treatment she was going to get moving down the road. abc's lama hasan has more on all of this baby mama drama from london. >> reporter: when william arrived at the hospital, he appeared somber, but after spending more than six hours by his wife's bed sign, when the prince emerged -- >> your royal highness, how is the duchess? >> reporter: -- he was more relaxed with a beaming smile. moments later the palace gave a clue as to why the change in his expression. the duchess is continuing to feel better. the statement read. but it went on that kate remains

in hospital and continues to be treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, the crippling form of morning sickness that causes extreme nausea. barely 12 weeks along, we're now learning new details about the weekend when william and indicate were forced go public with the pregnancy. the couple were staying with kate's parents when kate reportedly became so sick the decision was made to head to the hospital. >> she didn't need to be taken by an ambulance. it wasn't an emergency dash. once they had been told by the doctor that they should go to the hospital, they decided it was fine for william to drive her. when kate walked in, she was in quite good spirits despite the fact that she's obviously feeling incredibly nauseous. >> reporter: kate's parents found out their daughter was pregnant over the weekend, but the royal couple wanted to keep their baby news a secret until december, to tell the royal family on christmas day. there are no signs the queen here at buckingham palace or

kate's family have gone to see her at the hospital just yet. according to one royal reporter perhaps it's because they know prince william is doing such a good job of being by her side. lama hasan, abc news, outside buckingham palace in london. >> aren't you relieved she's doing better? >> yes. we wish her a speedy recovery and healthy pregnancy. absolutely. >> a long pregnancy. in the very early, not through the first trimester. >> about ten weeks they said roughly, ten to twelve. somewhere in that range. >> 30 more weeks. eight more months. >> i do have more respect for women when i see you all -- what you go through carrying, when you are with child, let's say. >> i brought you into this world, i can take you out. >> my favorite bill cosby line. coming up, what a scare for a former "world news now" anchor. >> and which star from the cast of "seinfeld" is returning to tv. "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ skinny so skinny [ laughter ] >> in the house! >> willis, always good to have ♪ skinny so skinny [ laughter ] >> in the house! >> w a ♪ skinny so skinny [ laughter ] >> in the house! >> willis, always good to have you back for the week, sir. i'll tell your parole officer good things. >> i think he could join me up here. >> willis could make a cameo one of these times. >> that means you leave. >> that's fine. i want some sleep. okay. we begin with some news. anderson cooper, former "world

news now" anchor, experienced temporary blindness, harrowing experience, shooting on location in portugal last week. he experienced temporary blindness for 36 hours, posted this photo of him wearing an eye patch. it turns out the reflection off of the water caused temporary blindness because of his light blue eyes. it sunburned his eyes. >> wow. >> yeah. take a listen. >> i wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like my eyes are on fire. my eyeballs. and i think, oh, well maybe i have sand in my eyes or something. i douse my eyes with water. anyway it turns out i have sunburned my eyeballs and i go blind. >> that's frightening. >> wow. i didn't know you could sunburn your eyes. >> i had no idea either. but, of course, his vision returned. he joked that that pic of him on instagram is going to work well on his match.com profile. that's a good look, anderson. >> there are far better ways to go blind. all right. listen. this is interesting too. jay-z, of course, had a big run

at the barclays center -- >> in brooklyn. >> -- in brooklyn, the new stadium out here, the new arena out here as well. 43rd birthday was this week as well. they released a documentary, his eight-show stint in brooklyn, and one highlight from the movie, "where i'm from" he is taking the subway to the final show in brooklyn and meets a woman who just has no idea who in the world he is. take a listen. >> my name is jay. >> ellen. >> ellen. >> what do you do, mr. jay? a woman named ellen. clearly had no idea, but a very sweet conversation. cooly took the subway and cool that he was talking to a women who clearly didn't know, probably didn't care, who he was. a cool moment caught on film. again the documentary is called "where i'm from." check it out. >> and you have to believe for

somebody as famous and iconic as jay-z, it's nice to have your anonymity maybe for a quick little sub wade ride. >> must by, yeah. okay. so "malcolm in the middle" star, frankie muniz turned 27, a bit of a frightening experience for him. he hasn't been -- "malcolm in the middle" finished in 2006 after a six-year run. but he had a mini stroke last week, and he was taken to an arizona hospital because friends noticed he was acting really weird. he was slurring. they couldn't understand what he was saying. he had trouble speaking. he tweeted this. he says, i was in the hospital last friday. i suffered a mini stroke, not fun at all. i have to start taking care of my body. i am getting old. doctors are not sure of the cause. they have run preliminary tests. the results have not been released. but he is scheduled to begin touring with his band king spoil. so he's a musician, but that has to be put on hold. >> so young. you have to wonder.

>> 27. >> if there is genetic something behind it. that is so young for a stroke. glad it was a mini one, but scary for a guy that age. also guess who's coming back to television? michael richards from "seinfeld." >> guess who's back? >> kramer is coming back in a show, "giant baby" on tvland, playing a character opposite kirstie alley and rhea perlman. he's going to play a limo driver to madison banks, played by kirstie alley, whose life is turned upside down after her long lost son looks to reconnect after the death of his adopted mother. and kramer coming back. to tv after all these years after seinfeld went off the air. hopefully he'll have no more rants and keep the image clean. welcome back, kramer. g-g-giddy up. . welcome back, kramer. g-g-giddy up. g-g-giddy up. as you probably know, medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

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music ♪ ♪ let your body move to the music ♪ ♪ come onogue ♪ come on vogue ♪ let your body move to the music ♪ ♪ come on vogue >> well done, paula. >> did you like that? madonna. >> i love when you bust a movie like that. >> no, you don't. you make fun of me. >> well, for clear reasons. anyway, anna wintour, the most feared name in american fashion. now she could be taking that no-nonseverance attitude to the international stage. how about that? >> saw the next move and everything. >> as we mentioned yesterday during "the skinny," the "vogue" editor is being considered for a job as u.s. ambassador to britain for france. abc's david wright looks at her legacy. >> reporter: she's a woman renowned for exquisite taste and withering looks. the inspiration for meryl streep's character in "the devil wears prada."

>> you have no style or sense of fashion. >> i think that depends on what -- >> no, no, wasn't a question. >> reporter: a portrayal anna wintour may not have enjoyed but she told barbara walters she respected it. >> did you recognize any part of yourself? >> well, i'm a very decisive person, so if meryl seemed somewhat strong, i respect that. >> reporter: she is the single most powerful woman in the fashion industry. her influence felt not just on the runway but in the shopping malls, too. as the documentary in the september issue revealed, the editor of "vogue" doesn't mince words. >> i feel it's quite one-dimensional. >> reporter: she raised millions for the president's re-election. >> please join us, just don't be late. >> reporter: and politicians often reward their biggest fund-raisers. but ambassador anna wintour. privately white house sources say wintour is in the running for a plum diplomatic post, either ambassador to france or britain. wintour may not even want the job. she is, after all, the reigning queen of fashion, and queens don't have to be diplomatic. david wright, abc new, los angeles. >> she has been at "vogue" for 25 years, born in london, 63. apparently you know her quite well.

>> yes, there we are. >> she's mad at you because you're not wearing a tie. >> she probably -- she's frowning upon most of the things i would wear. i have some kind of weird chest hair pattern in there. >> you have a necklace on. >> is that what it is? you are going david hasselhoff on us. >> we'll be right back. >> yeah! ♪ that's what it's for >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. back. >> yeah! ♪ that's what it's for >> announcer: this is abc's

morning america." have a great wednesday. breaking overnight, let's make a deal. >> a costly strike at the country's busiest port, which would have kept store shelves bare for holiday shoppers, appears to be over. a deal reached just a short time ago. fiscal frustration. more bluster from both sides of the fiscal cliff deal. but is there actually a deal in the making?